There are so many different ways that a person can make a difference but one of the most influential ways to impact others is to teach. Teaching is one of the most underappreciated, undervalued, underpaid professions around yet it is one of the most important callings out there. That being said, I do not want to be a teacher. My mother is a wonderful teacher who has taught me the value of education and what a talented teacher can do for their students.

What I would love to do more than anything is to work with my children’s high school and develop curriculum based on real-world needs; such as creating a budget, planning for retirement, writing a resume, understanding debt, team building, and managing stress.

All high school students will one day have to deal with debt and paying bills or finding a job, yet we don’t spend the necessary time helping them develop those skills because we are constantly trying to prepare them for college. I feel like this is a real disservice to the students out there where college isn’t an option or even a consideration.

I was recently appointed to the Business Advisory Board in my children’s school district to help develop the curriculum for future programs based on the aforementioned needs. I believe that my continued education will help in the journey to develop this path. Teaching may not be in my future but I sure hope making a difference is.